


Either/Or

by goldenegg31



Series: Asgard's Children [1]
Category: Norse Mythology, Thor (2011), White Collar
Genre: Community: norsekink, Crossover, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-03-21
Updated: 2012-03-21
Packaged: 2017-11-02 08:02:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 540
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/366791
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/goldenegg31/pseuds/goldenegg31
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>One of these things is a lie. And one is the truth.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Either/Or

One of these things is a lie. 

Neal is an ordinary human. He is cleverer (and more criminal) than most, but still an ordinary human being. He confessed to Peter that he grew up wanting to be a cop, to follow in the footsteps of a father who turned out to be a dirty cop and not a hero. He ended up following in his father’s footsteps anyway.

Neal is a god. He may have had to lie to Peter about what his father was, but he doesn’t lie about his feelings. He did idealize his father, did want to be like him; that is the truth. It is also a lie: perhaps Neal has never really wanted to run because he grew up watching a lonely father and didn’t want to live like that. He has followed in his father’s footsteps: like his father, he has always been a trickster at heart, has always loved the rush of the con, cannot resist the lure of the best score ever.

\---

One of these things is true.

Peter is lying on the ground, blood pouring out from a gunshot wound in his chest. The suspect who shot him is fleeing – he will never be caught. Neal is speaking to him, telling him to hold on, his hands pressing down on the wound in an effort to stop the bleeding. The world around Peter starts to go dark as Jones and Diana run in, a minute too late to do anything besides call an ambulance.

Peter is lying on the ground, a gunshot wound in his chest slowly closing. Invisible bonds keep the suspect who shot him from fleeing. Neal is speaking to him, telling him to hold on, his hands glowing faintly green with the magic that is saving Peter’s life. Peter loses consciousness, hardly able to believe what he is seeing, as Jones and Diana run in, a minute too late to see any supernatural activity.

\---

One of these things happened.

Peter is on his couch, a bandage covering the wound that almost killed him. Neal sits across from him, distracting Peter with tales his mother told him as a child, stories about the Norse trickster god Loki. Peter jokes that Neal might get in less trouble if they sewed his lips shut. Neal laughs. It is a distraction from the pain, from Neal’s lingering worry over Peter’s brush with death, nothing more.

Peter is on his couch, a bandage covering the wound that could have killed him. Neal sits across from him, telling Peter about his mother, who fell in love with the god of mischief. Neal’s explanation is straight out of Norse mythology, from the myths Peter always thought were fictional. Peter doesn’t ask if they are. He’s not sure he wants to know if Neal has a brother who is a horse or if his father really had his lips sewn shut. Now he knows why Neal never talks about his family, why he lied when questioned about them. Some lies are told for a reason. And some are better than the truth. 

\---

One of these things is a lie. And one is the truth. 

\---

Maybe not. Things are not always as simple as true or false.


End file.
